When applying for a U.S. passport in person, evidence of U.S. citizenship must be submitted with Form DS-11. All documentation submitted as citizenship evidence will be returned to you. These documents will be delivered with your newly issued U.S. passport or in a separate mailing.

*A certified birth certificate has a registrar's raised, embossed, impressed or multicolored seal, registrar's signature, and the date the certificate was filed with the registrar's office, which must be within 1 year of your birth. Please note, some short (abstract) versions of birth certificates may not be acceptable for passport purposes.

If you apply at an Acceptance Facility and submit out-of-state primary identification, you must present an additional ID document, as well. For example, if you apply in Maryland with a Virginia Driver's License, you must present additional ID.

When submitting Form DS-11 in person, your photo(s) should not be attached to the form.

When submitting Form DS-82 by mail, staple one photo to the application within the space provided using four vertical staples, one in each corner. Enclose the second photo with your application, unattached.

NEED A U.S. PASSPORT IMMEDIATELY?

You should make an appointment to be seen at a Regional Passport Agency only if:

The U.S. passport is needed in less than 2 weeks for international travel